Comments on: NASA needs to be cooler http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:55:18 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: schabracke http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/comment-page-2/#comment-74568 schabracke Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:52:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/#comment-74568 I'm from europe and it's the same problem here. In europe it's the ESA, but almost nobody knows about them or their projects. I often talk to people about the ISS and the NASA Mars rovers, but most don't even know, that there are rovers on mars. Also the rocket launches are rarly shown on TV. There is the european Ariane V rocket and of course the Space Shuttles. At least the launch of the european ATV Jules Verne was in the press here. But there are also missions like the cassini huygens to saturn and other international missions. A lot is going on. Think about the new Ares rockets. People maybe know that the US plan a new mission to moon, but they don't know the name of the rocket, nor do they know how it looks like. I have never seen anything about the rockets in TV or in the press here in Europe. The NASA and ESA Websites are poor. Not much multimedia. You have to search for the launches on youtube. Both, NASA and ESA should make more advertisments. Recently I showed some friends the ISS flying in the sky at night. They thought I was making fun of them. I said: "no really this is the new space station", but they didn't believe. I mean, of course the ISS and the mars rovers are not as extraordinary as the moon landing, but they are also big steps. I hope one day the NASA and ESA website are updated and you then find a lot of multimedia. The point is, that at the moment there is too much information, but not propagated in the right way. I’m from europe and it’s the same problem here. In europe it’s the ESA, but almost nobody knows about them or their projects. I often talk to people about the ISS and the NASA Mars rovers, but most don’t even know, that there are rovers on mars. Also the rocket launches are rarly shown on TV. There is the european Ariane V rocket and of course the Space Shuttles. At least the launch of the european ATV Jules Verne was in the press here. But there are also missions like the cassini huygens to saturn and other international missions. A lot is going on. Think about the new Ares rockets. People maybe know that the US plan a new mission to moon, but they don’t know the name of the rocket, nor do they know how it looks like. I have never seen anything about the rockets in TV or in the press here in Europe. The NASA and ESA Websites are poor. Not much multimedia. You have to search for the launches on youtube. Both, NASA and ESA should make more advertisments. Recently I showed some friends the ISS flying in the sky at night. They thought I was making fun of them. I said: “no really this is the new space station”, but they didn’t believe. I mean, of course the ISS and the mars rovers are not as extraordinary as the moon landing, but they are also big steps.

I hope one day the NASA and ESA website are updated and you then find a lot of multimedia. The point is, that at the moment there is too much information, but not propagated in the right way.

]]> By: Ross Hill http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/comment-page-2/#comment-74567 Ross Hill Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:35:13 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/#comment-74567 I'm sure there are plenty of cool things happening there, with lots of cool people. Maybe they need their own Scoble - he seemed to turn Microsoft for the better through blogging. I think it could work at NASA too. If anyone there is reading this and wants to chat they can contact me through my site. I’m sure there are plenty of cool things happening there, with lots of cool people.

Maybe they need their own Scoble – he seemed to turn Microsoft for the better through blogging. I think it could work at NASA too. If anyone there is reading this and wants to chat they can contact me through my site.

]]> By: Rick http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/comment-page-2/#comment-74566 Rick Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:32:26 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/#comment-74566 I went to KSC last week to watch Endeavour go up, and while I agree that NASA needs to do a better job of reaching out to the public, I think that if you want to fuel up a flagging enthusiasm for the space program, just go down and watch a launch. I was blown away! You want to talk about getting goosebumps and a flood of emotions, wait until it's T-1 minute and all the console guys are checking in, running down checklists and everything's green, they turn it over to Endeavour and BOOM, night turns into day. Holy cow, it was such an amazing experience, unlike anything I've ever experienced!! I've geeked out on the NASA channel for days watching my friend walk in space (He's 11th on the list of most time spent EVA all-time, BTW). My buddy Rick Linnehan (a crewmember on the current mission STS-123) invited a few of us down to see his (likely) final launch, and we were briefed by the head of KSC, Colonel Powell I believe his name was, and this guy led 7k troops into combat in Iraq, and seriously knows how to get his message across. NASA needs to get THIS guy out front and let him tell the American public how we're going to the moon, he sure sold me! I know the program is expensive, but it's 1/2 of 1 percent of our national budget, and I, for one, believe it's worth every penny spent, even if we never make another discovery up there, if for nothing more than to give us our national identity back, to give us something to take pride in and aspire to. Sorry for the run-on sentences, I'm a lawyer and it's an occupational hazard. Maybe it's just me, but while I'm positive that things could be managed better, I think these guys are amazing and deserve mucho kudos for what they accomplish on a daily basis. I went to KSC last week to watch Endeavour go up, and while I agree that NASA needs to do a better job of reaching out to the public, I think that if you want to fuel up a flagging enthusiasm for the space program, just go down and watch a launch. I was blown away! You want to talk about getting goosebumps and a flood of emotions, wait until it’s T-1 minute and all the console guys are checking in, running down checklists and everything’s green, they turn it over to Endeavour and BOOM, night turns into day. Holy cow, it was such an amazing experience, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced!! I’ve geeked out on the NASA channel for days watching my friend walk in space (He’s 11th on the list of most time spent EVA all-time, BTW).

My buddy Rick Linnehan (a crewmember on the current mission STS-123) invited a few of us down to see his (likely) final launch, and we were briefed by the head of KSC, Colonel Powell I believe his name was, and this guy led 7k troops into combat in Iraq, and seriously knows how to get his message across. NASA needs to get THIS guy out front and let him tell the American public how we’re going to the moon, he sure sold me!

I know the program is expensive, but it’s 1/2 of 1 percent of our national budget, and I, for one, believe it’s worth every penny spent, even if we never make another discovery up there, if for nothing more than to give us our national identity back, to give us something to take pride in and aspire to. Sorry for the run-on sentences, I’m a lawyer and it’s an occupational hazard. Maybe it’s just me, but while I’m positive that things could be managed better, I think these guys are amazing and deserve mucho kudos for what they accomplish on a daily basis.

]]> By: Michael Scott http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/comment-page-2/#comment-74565 Michael Scott Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:32:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/#comment-74565 [Full disclosure: I am not, and have never been, a NASA employee. I am a NASA Solar System Ambassador for JPL, a volunteer position. which performs outreach to the public. I am an astronomer, working on exoplanet detection. I have, in my lifetime, received $150 from NASA, for consulting on an education initiative - I don't think I've been bought off. I speak only for myself.] I am torn by three facts: 1) It is my deepest belief that it is our destiny for humanity to move beyond this planet into the cosmos. 2) In bang for the scientific buck, robotic exploration of the Solar System is a better bargain than paying the megabucks to get boots on the regolith of distant worlds. Still, 3) The only way we will learn how to live in space is to go out and live in space. An earlier post commented that we should not proceed with human spaceflight until we can rid ourselves of chemical rockets. A nice dream, which will someday likely come to fruition, but as of today there is NO OTHER WAY to get off this planet. The greatest science contribution of the International Space Station [ISS] is figuring out how to build and live in space. It would be a foolish risk to proceed to Mars until we have learned the lessons of managing life in orbit. I have grave concerns regarding exposure to radiation, and with the physiological difficulties (bone loss, muscle atrophy), inherent in a 2.2+ year to Mars and back. I am not convinced that such a mission is survivable; we must gain a better understanding of how the body adapts to the environment of space. The ISS is where we are learning the lessons of living beyond the Earth. The ISS is the lab, and the astronauts are the guinea pigs. I have spoken to several astronauts* about their role as experimental test subjects; to a person they understand and support the need to subject their bodies to Science. [*In the past year I have interviewed astronauts Jerry Linenger, Ellen Baker, and Sunita Williams about what they have learned about life in space. My first astronaut interview was with Deke Slayton, 30 years ago - it is wonderful to track the real progress we have made in our understanding of how the body reacts to life off this planet. We still have much to learn.] Yes, for the price of ONE human mission to Mars we can have DOZENS of rovers crawling all over the planet, with the additional benefit that we can send rovers NOW - human spaceflight to Mars is many years away. But.... I had a chance to to chat with Steve Squyres (rover Principal Investigator), about 6 months after the rovers had landed on Mars. I asked Steve about the utility of sending people to Mars, given how well the rovers were chugging along [Shameless plug for the Lab - Spirit is now 1492 days into its 90 day mission. - that's 4+ years! Opportunity is now 1471 days into its 90 day mission. Go Rovers!] I expected Steve to talk about what a great job our rover robots can do. Instead, Steve launched into a passionate plea for us to get boots on Mars ASAP. The robots are great, but they are a poor substitute for "real" geologist. Just this week, the Shuttle Endeavor is delivering the Japanese Kibo Science Lab to the ISS, along with the Canadian Dextre Robotic Arm. The European Space Agency has launched the Jules Verne to the ISS, an Apollo-size automated mission that is 3x bigger than the Russian progress missions, and Cassini has flown right though a geyser on Saturn's moon Enceladus. A damn good week. If Mike Griffin (NASA's administrator) were to by some miracle ask me, I'd suggest a few tweaks to the program, but in general I think we are (FINALLY!) on the right track. OT- Astronaut Garrett Reisman, when asked about the Dextre robot that he is (as I write this) installing on the ISS, said: "Now, I wouldn't go as far to say that we're worried it's going to run amok and take over the space station or turn evil or anything because we all know how it's operated and it doesn't have a lot of it's own intelligence." Now, there is an image! Dextre, by the way, is 12 feet tall, has 11-foot long arms, and has a shoulder span of 8 feet. After Garrett's comment all I could think about was Sigourney Weaver in "Aliens". http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/SPAC_ISS_MSS_Canadarm-2_Concept_lg.jpg http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/SPAC_ISS_Dextre_Arm_lg.jpg http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0090605/6053_16_1.jpg [Full disclosure: I am not, and have never been, a NASA employee. I am a NASA Solar System Ambassador for JPL, a volunteer position. which performs outreach to the public. I am an astronomer, working on exoplanet detection. I have, in my lifetime, received $150 from NASA, for consulting on an education initiative - I don't think I've been bought off. I speak only for myself.]

I am torn by three facts:

1) It is my deepest belief that it is our destiny for humanity to move beyond this planet into the cosmos.

2) In bang for the scientific buck, robotic exploration of the Solar System is a better bargain than paying the megabucks to get boots on the regolith of distant worlds. Still,

3) The only way we will learn how to live in space is to go out and live in space.

An earlier post commented that we should not proceed with human spaceflight until we can rid ourselves of chemical rockets. A nice dream, which will someday likely come to fruition, but as of today there is NO OTHER WAY to get off this planet.

The greatest science contribution of the International Space Station [ISS] is figuring out how to build and live in space. It would be a foolish risk to proceed to Mars until we have learned the lessons of managing life in orbit.

I have grave concerns regarding exposure to radiation, and with the physiological difficulties (bone loss, muscle atrophy), inherent in a 2.2+ year to Mars and back. I am not convinced that such a mission is survivable; we must gain a better understanding of how the body adapts to the environment of space. The ISS is where we are learning the lessons of living beyond the Earth.

The ISS is the lab, and the astronauts are the guinea pigs. I have spoken to several astronauts* about their role as experimental test subjects; to a person they understand and support the need to subject their bodies to Science.

[*In the past year I have interviewed astronauts Jerry Linenger, Ellen Baker, and Sunita Williams about what they have learned about life in space. My first astronaut interview was with Deke Slayton, 30 years ago - it is wonderful to track the real progress we have made in our understanding of how the body reacts to life off this planet. We still have much to learn.]

Yes, for the price of ONE human mission to Mars we can have DOZENS of rovers crawling all over the planet, with the additional benefit that we can send rovers NOW – human spaceflight to Mars is many years away. But….

I had a chance to to chat with Steve Squyres (rover Principal Investigator), about 6 months after the rovers had landed on Mars. I asked Steve about the utility of sending people to Mars, given how well the rovers were chugging along

[Shameless plug for the Lab - Spirit is now 1492 days into its 90 day mission. - that's 4+ years! Opportunity is now 1471 days into its 90 day mission. Go Rovers!]

I expected Steve to talk about what a great job our rover robots can do. Instead, Steve launched into a passionate plea for us to get boots on Mars ASAP. The robots are great, but they are a poor substitute for “real” geologist.

Just this week, the Shuttle Endeavor is delivering the Japanese Kibo Science Lab to the ISS, along with the Canadian Dextre Robotic Arm. The European Space Agency has launched the Jules Verne to the ISS, an Apollo-size automated mission that is 3x bigger than the Russian progress missions, and Cassini has flown right though a geyser on Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

A damn good week.

If Mike Griffin (NASA’s administrator) were to by some miracle ask me, I’d suggest a few tweaks to the program, but in general I think we are (FINALLY!) on the right track.

OT- Astronaut Garrett Reisman, when asked about the Dextre robot that he is (as I write this) installing on the ISS, said:

“Now, I wouldn’t go as far to say that we’re worried it’s going to run amok and take over the space station or turn evil or anything because we all know how it’s operated and it doesn’t have a lot of it’s own intelligence.”

Now, there is an image! Dextre, by the way, is 12 feet tall, has 11-foot long arms, and has a shoulder span of 8 feet. After Garrett’s comment all I could think about was Sigourney Weaver in “Aliens”.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/SPAC_ISS_MSS_Canadarm-2_Concept_lg.jpg
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/SPAC_ISS_Dextre_Arm_lg.jpg
http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0090605/6053_16_1.jpg

]]> By: Paul A. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/comment-page-2/#comment-74564 Paul A. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:38:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/#comment-74564 For past couple years I've thought NASA should put little cameras all over the stuff they send into space and turn it into a show. The last shuttle landing had a spectacular sequence where the shuttle dives through a layer of dense clouds and then almost immediately breaks through with the landing strip right in front of them. I once saw a camera on a rocket that pointed down while it was leaving the launch pad all the way into orbit. Maybe a lot more is available, I haven't found it. For past couple years I’ve thought NASA should put little cameras all over the stuff they send into space and turn it into a show. The last shuttle landing had a spectacular sequence where the shuttle dives through a layer of dense clouds and then almost immediately breaks through with the landing strip right in front of them. I once saw a camera on a rocket that pointed down while it was leaving the launch pad all the way into orbit. Maybe a lot more is available, I haven’t found it.

]]> By: StevoR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/comment-page-2/#comment-74563 StevoR Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:11:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/#comment-74563 Sayeth the BA : "A lot of folks don’t connect with NASA." Well I do. I think NASA does a dagnarnaed good good job! Yes, I'm a fan iof their work & I don't mind saying so! ;-) Are there some problems? Could they do better .. well ..always .. But let's not forget what an absolutely superluminous (ie beyond mere brillance) job they've doen &all they've achieved so far. Or how far ahead of their compeditors & possible alternatives they really are ... Sayeth the BA :

“A lot of folks don’t connect with NASA.”

Well I do.

I think NASA does a dagnarnaed good good job!

Yes, I’m a fan iof their work & I don’t mind saying so! ;-)

Are there some problems? Could they do better .. well ..always ..

But let’s not forget what an absolutely superluminous (ie beyond mere brillance) job they’ve doen &all they’ve achieved so far.

Or how far ahead of their compeditors & possible alternatives they really are …

]]> By: StevioR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/comment-page-2/#comment-74562 StevioR Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:05:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/05/nasa-needs-to-be-cooler/#comment-74562 Sayeth the BA : ":A lot of folks don’t connect with NASA." Sayeth the BA :
“:A lot of folks don’t connect with NASA.”

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